Elepent

Some random stuff that happened in Austin:

The AEV got broken into.  One evening while we were downtown, thieves smashed out the passenger side window and made off with everything they could grab, namely our navigation system, iPod, some towing accessories, a box of crackers, a travel blanket and a couple of CDs.  For some reason, they stole the Jeep’s registration and owner’s manual as well.

The most irritating part was the loss of the AEV for almost three weeks while the window got replaced.  By means of offering a one-finger salute to the unknown thieves:  y’all should’ve looked in the cargo area, because you missed a $300 LightStick towing light, a $1100 Brake Buddy auxiliary towing unit still in the box, a $100 emergency kit and a six-pack of Lone Star beer that we forgot to take inside after a grocery trip that afternoon, you larcenous shitheads.  Just to show the world that it wasn’t going to get us down, we even gave that beer away to some homeless guys.

On a considerably less aggravating note, we also discovered new music.  Literally–while tromping through a riverbed in the park, looking for photo shoot locations for Lexie, I stumbled across a still-wrapped CD in the mud.  It turned out to be a disc by a German punk rock band called Oxymoron.  We cleaned it off, gave it a listen, liked it, and added it to the music collection.  How it ended up in the river in its shrink wrap is a mystery of viral marketing that will probably never be solved.  Too bad the band seems to be defunct.

We also discovered thrifting joy in the form of the Goodwill Blue Hanger Store.  This no-frills shop seems to be the last stop for clothing, books and linens that don’t sell at the regular Goodwill stores.  It’s basically a large room full of wooden bins, and if you want to find something, you’ll have to dig for it.  With clothes at a flat fee of $1.25 and books $1, however, it can be worth a few hours of rooting about.  Lexie and I made several trips, coming home with (among other things) a nearly-new Coleman sleeping bag, a serviceable pair of Carhartt overalls for me, a fancy black dress for Lex, and a hardcover copy of Stephen King’s Duma Key, as well as a stack of other readables.

While in Austin, we did a bit of a fashion shoot, too.  Lexie shot some promotional photos for LastWear, a Seattle-based producer of unique steampunk and martial arts-inspired clothing.  The shoots were fun, and the results were, of course, pretty cool as well.   As for the clothes…well, after you’ve worn a pair of hakama pants with cargo pockets, you’ll wonder why you ever wore anything else.

We also got cupcakes from "Hey Cupcake's" roving cupcake truck. That's right, a roving cupcake truck. Awesome.

So much for the semi-professional overview of SXSW.  What really counts, at the end of the day, is what we saw, experienced, and enjoyed.

Hurray for the Riffraff at SXSW 2009

We liked Hurray for the Riffraff, who came to SXSW from New Orleans.  The band consists of a stand-up bass, a dulcimer, an accordion, a banjo and a trumpet; the music has shades of Rasputina and the Ditty Bops, and they have a cool, shy sort of stage presence.  Watching one of their members play accordion and trumpet at the same time was kind of interesting, too.

I liked Tokyo-based Asakusa Jinta, though Lexie was somewhat less than impressed.  This eclectic seven-piece band is an unlikely (and on the surface, ill-advised) collision of punk rock and marching band.  Osho, the lead singer, is mesmerizing as he slaps away at his custom-made, metal-framework stand up bass, and the band’s high-energy set has an infectious exuberance that make it clear why the group calls itself an “Asianica Hard March” band.  At SXSW they performed at the relatively small Elysium, but when they’ve got more room they will reportedly march right into the audience during their show.

Natccu at SXSW 2009. This image is horribly blown out because Emmy took it instead of Lexie.

While we were resting between sets at one of the venues, a Japanese woman in rockstar sunglasses came up, handed us a flyer and shyly asked, “My name is Natccu. Will you please come to my show tomorrow?”  She was so charmingly adorable that I said I would, and I wasn’t disappointed.  Natccu’s sound is a fusion of Shonen Knife and The Faint, if you can imagine that.  She sings in English and Japanese (though she sounds better in her native tongue), and partway through her performance I realized that she was reading her between-song patter from a piece of paper on the floor at her feet. She speaks English, but apparently wanted to be sure she got her words right. “Texas Austin is very big. And very hot,” she said, then looked at her feet. “It makes me want to drink beer. But there is no beer here. So…” She looked at her feet again, then smiled and bent down and picked up her cheat-sheet. “So let’s drink water instead!” And with a “kampai!” she did just that. Super-cute.

Amanda Palmer at SXSW 2009

We were very happy to catch the solo performance by Amanda Palmer, of the Dresden Dolls.  “Showmanship” and “stage presence” are the operative words.  Palmer performed alone, with just an electric piano. Before she started, however, she walked to the front of the stage and belted out an a capella, un-microphoned, goosebump-raising rendition of “The Wind that Shakes the Barley.” This was an excellent way to get our attention. The show was very casual; the venue was actually a local church that had been commandeered by SXSW, and Palmer spent as much time talking to the audience and telling stories about her songs as she did performing. Most amusing was that she had prepared a noisy set based on her past (loud bar with lots of patrons not paying attention) experience at SXSW, only to find herself slotted in at the church.  She said she felt kind of silly, playing loud, angry songs while everyone sat quietly in the pews. This didn’t stop her, of course, but she did a lot of set changeover to play quieter stuff. She also performed a cute duet with Margaret Cho who popped up as a surprise supporting performer.

In the end, though, we have to say that the White Ghost Shivers won SXSW.  Oh, I know what you’re thinking:  “But SXSW isn’t a competition!”  Doesn’t matter.  They still won.  Who, what, why are the White Ghost Shivers?  Stay tuned.

Local Austin industrial band Tungsten Coil peforms at SXSW 2009

You don’t have to be a music snob to appreciate and enjoy the city-wide madness that is Austin’s annual South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival (though it helps if you live outside the city). Revered and reviled by locals and tourists alike, SXSW brings over two thousand performers to the city for a four-day orgy of fresh faces and new talent in mid-March. Though the festival started out with countless local and unsigned acts, these days a large number of well-known performers turn up as well. The shows are spread between over seventy venues, with dozens of concerts happening simultaneously all over the city. Various venues are set up to highlight particular segments of the musical landscape, with nights devoted to Japanese, Spanish and hip-hop bands, among other themed nights. As if that wasn’t enough to keep you occupied, the SXSW Music Festival takes place in conjunction with the SXSW Film Festival and the SXSW Interactive Festival, which is aimed at “digital creatives” and “visionary technological entrepreneurs” and highlights cutting edge online and other technologies. The level of activity in the city during SXSW verges on the ridiculous; the streets are alive with music, food, alcohol, flash mobs and free hugs.

This year’s SXSW music festival included something for just about every music taste, from the modern ragtime of the White Ghost Shivers to a special appearance by heavy metal legend Metallica. Crowded venues and shifting schedules mean that SXSW can be difficult to navigate at times, and it’s best to get a schedule and determine who you want to see so you can plan ahead. Big-name acts will play relatively small venues, resulting in over-capacity shows, and the sets are short and lean. Think of SXSW as a musical sampler buffet, rather than a full meal. We took a relaxed pace and still managed to see no fewer than twelve bands in our four days attending the shows.

Amanda Palmer organized a flash-mob pillow fight on Sixth Street, and Lexie was there!

Getting in to hobnob with the elite and see the performers is a complicated process. An elaborate system of wristbands and badges provides access to various parts of the festival and is recommended, as attempting to pick and choose by paying the cover charges for only the bands you want to see tends to put you at the back of a long line. Wristbands allow access to as many events as you can stomach, and cost $165 to $180. SXSW badges offer a wider range of admission, as well as a higher spot in the pecking order (which can mean the difference between getting into a crowded venue and being stuck outside), and are available with varying levels of access from $300 to $1145 (all prices are for the 2009 event. For 2010 details, check out http://www.sxsw.com).

We have no idea what this girl was doing, but she looked cool doing it.

If you want to forego the expensive badges and wristbands and avoid fighting the crowds, SXSW is also rife with free stuff. Simply walking the streets of downtown Austin during the festival, you’ll be able to hear many of the performers as the music spills out of Sixth Street’s many bars and clubs. Street performers abound, and more than a few of the headlining bands are all too happy to show up for impromptu sidewalk performances as well. SXSW provides an opportunity for up-and-coming bands to connect with new fans and music industry insiders alike.

Japanese glam-rockers Quaff filming a music video on Sixth Street.

A few insiders’ tips: Parking, which is difficult in downtown Austin at the best of times, will be virtually non-existent during SXSW. The meters don’t need to be paid after 5:30pm, but finding a street-parking spot becomes nigh-impossible much earlier than that, even if you’re willing to walk twenty blocks. Street-parked cars are also susceptible to break-ins; Austin is a hip town, but it’s also still a big city with its share of miscreants, so be sure to hide your valuables. Surface lots and garages are open, with rates at twice what they’ll cost on a normal night. Parking outside of downtown is possible, as Austin’s Capital Metro buses, independent taxis and human-powered pedicabs compete for riders and space on the crowded streets.  And if the stress of SXSW is too much for you, there are always the free hugs.